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Chaudhry accepts Qarase's invitation to join Fiji cabinet

Shailendra Singh in Suva

Politics made strange bedfellows when deposed premier Mahendra Chaudhry accepted new Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase's invitation to join the new multiparty government in Fiji.

Parties that had been at loggerheads with Qarase's Soqosoqo ni Duavata ni Lewe Vanua Party, like Chaudhry's Fiji Labour Party, have fallen over themselves to join it in a coalition government.

Fiji now seems set to become a unique democracy -- one with no opposition -- with all other parties that won seats saying they want to join Qarase's government.

It includes the Conservative Alliance party, which had said it would get coup leader George Speight, who is in prison on treason charges for overthrowing Chaudhry's government in May last year, a pardon if it came to power.

The CA has now dropped its demand that Speight be pardoned before it joins Qarase. It did so when it lost its leverage with two independents and three others from a so-called moderate party saying they would join Qarase, taking the total number of members supporting him to 36.

Qarase needs just 37 seats to get a majority. His SDL won 31 seats in the 71-member Parliament in the election last month.

Fiji's 1997 Constitution compels Qarase to invite any party that has won more than 10 percent of the seats to join his government and hence the invitation to Chaudhry, whose FLP won 27 seats.

Chaudhry had earlier said he would refuse Qarase's offer and remain in opposition because of the ideological chasm between the SDL and FLP. But he has accepted the offer, saying FLP will be more effective in government.

Qarase has earlier made it clear that he would be delighted if Chaudhry refused to join his government, as an SDL-FLP coalition would be unworkable.

Before Chaudhry said yes, Qarase had said: "Supposing he accepts, it means he will have to get about eight seats, I will get 12. Of this 12, I have an obligation to give some to smaller parties. Say I give five I would end up with just seven. The numbers don't stack up. It will never work."

But Chaudhry, who has constantly expressed disgust at SDL policies, is singing a different tune.

"I (see no) reason why this multiparty cabinet would not work, as it was provided for in the Constitution," he said, adding the ball was in Qarase's court.

The FLP is entitled to 47 percent seats in the cabinet, Chaudhry said, adding that this was a 'pretty good proposition and brilliant brains in politics would not reject such an opportunity'.

But he has reportedly not demanded any specific ministries or laid down any conditions making things difficult for Qarase.

"We have received a response from Chaudhry and we are studying that. There will be quite a lot of activity and meetings on Tuesday," said Qarase, whose wishes to have his ministers sworn in September 11 have been dashed by the Chaudhry's latest move.

Reiterating his earlier reservations about the FLP joining the cabinet, he said, "I still hold that view because the two parties hold diametrically opposite views on quite a number of important issues. If we have a multiparty government as the FLP proposes, I believe it will be an unstable government."

Indo-Asian News Service

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